THE CUR.R.ENT CINEMA Elisabeth and Bette //r i T HE gnomish, / :):, ". 1' . wise, and fas- cinating little arti- cle that Elisabeth Bergner was on the stage as Gem- ma Jones in "Es- cape Me Never!" is now filmed for us practically word for word, gesture for gesture, trick for trick, and the result is a lovely per- formance. Alone the Bergner acting lifts the straggling plot far above the arid level where otherwise it would be assigned. Out of a rôle which might have been just eccentric or droll she manages to squeeze some real mean- ing, add a genuinely human touch, seeming to answer throughout the story that constant query of ladies about . h " h some acquaIntance or ot er as to w at on earth she sees in him." This little Gemma has very slight reason to see anything at all in her Sebastian, but thanks to Bergner clarity and Bergner astuteness the dedication to her man doesn't seem nonsense in the least. It's all quite plausible and acceptable. That, I suspect, is the great achieve- ment of the Bergn r talent in this par- ticular rôle. To be sure, the Bergner acting does not make the whole film flawless. I have an idea that many worthy folk, competent enough intellectually to bully their neighbors with ideas, are going to find the picture oppressive. I think they will declare it sad, and come away from it with a certain resentment that it's so woebegone. These critics may have some justification in their complaints. Nobody approved of the play except as a vehicle for Miss Berg- ner. On the screen, the vehicle is more in evidence than it was on the stage. For one thing, it's expanded with lavish Venice scenes, with some Dolo- mite landscapes, with a ballet. And there's one long sequence, given Berg- ner herself, the hospital sequence, which I'd like cut out entirely, which is responsible, I feel, for the oppressive sense you get, as it is too much the old- fashioned sob-stuff material. You don't need it-not with Bergner. Nor does H ugh Sinclair, again in his stage rôle, stand up well under the camera. The camera rather. lignifies Mr. Sinclair. The other performance, aside from Miss Bergner's, to be noted in the 71 :::i!::;':': ,Jf : ú l\\O \)t , \) \i /' ;: :?>' ' t : ; \( :\ i .: ø e o.t O ð. 01 :(\q \. 0\ ð. o.q().1. s * ' f: : \, \.oP o. et \.octo. : \ø o ': ", \' .:/1:/ \\.e'(\' . t\S o'(\c .."'o.\. ...,:Io.S ' , />P". , '. , '" , :: , '" , J;': ., : . ' \.\\.\.S s\'9 s\.e '\.V \. ti'. \\\. ,;, " d J: .', , \.0. e tSI \.\\.e \.0: ce'(\ "po'tÒ- e , .,;.,;,.;& ,..;.LtJ';: v. ð. \(.'(\0...,:1 .A\. 0\ Ù\e tot Ù\e " o. .."'e \. v- et '\: s.'" \. '\.V ð. e e '\J. 0: o t ßð.. \. \ \ßC' s\(. o\ð. "pO: .ßP \01f> & co.' o\ e \ \)1 "'e \f> .,,\ø-& G eó lo \.'v so\e C 1'>0 1 . . e GO\ \ \)'ò yó 1 \f> ", , -- . :<- : 'J! it '.ø 0:0.:.,.-,::;::=;: FORBIDDEN FRUIT COCKTAIL Y3 Forbidden Fruit Y3 Dry Vermouth Y3 Gin Made on a base of o4d cognac fine champagne _ '.' ,:::' / '/ß>.. 7-Ite UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT tiatcl cite BRIARCLIFF MANOR) NEW YORK A complete resort hotel. overlooking the maiestic Hudson. in an estate of 600 acres of woodland.. Golf. . tennis. . saddle horses. . swimming Select clientele accepted. Meyer Davis Music JOHN W. GREENE, Managing Director CARTER L. GARDNER, Resident Manager A ssociated Hotels THE BREAKERS AT PALM BEACH THE MOUNT KIN EO } N M NE THE SAMOSET I AI presents each month the news and drama of the entertain- ment arts It covers the world of the theatre, music, motion pictures, the radio, the supper club. It infonns you infallibly \vhat to see and do. It enriches your enjoyment of the world of entertainment in anticipa- tion and retrospect Rich, lavish and colorful in pic- tures, it is one of America's most eautiful and diverting magazInes. I FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE STAGE 50 East 42nd Street, N ew York Please enter my subscription for Stage o One Year $3.00 0 Two Years $5.00 Foreign subscriptions $4.00 a year. Name ........... Address ................. N.Y. 6-1